Relay assembly



Nov. 10, 1959 J. E. OSTLINE RELAY ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. s, 1956 FIG.3

INVENTOR.

JOHN E. OSTLINE ATTY.

United States Patent .RELAY ASSEMBLY John E. Ostline, Chicago, Ill., assignor to General Telezphone Laboratories, Incorporated, a corporation of :Delaware 1 v Application December 5, 1956, Serial No. 625,832

2 Claims. (Cl. 200-104 cuit to cause the tube to glow, or in combination wherevthe tube is connected in series with the relay so that the relay operates to close its contacts only when the tube strikes.

One example where a large number of individually associated tubes and lamps are used is disclosed in the application of J. E. Ostline, Serial No. 625,833, filed December 3, 1956. This application discloses acalling station directory number detector, the heart of which is comprised of a plurality of gas filled tubes and associated relays. Where the tubes function as gates controlling the operation of their associated relays for marking the cross point in a coordinate grid corresponding to the directory number of the calling station. A plurality of settable registers are then controlled by this cross-point connection to register the multi-digit directory number of the identified calling station. The gas tube and relay functioning as an integral unit for identifying each station in an exchange. A typical exchange having in the vicinity of 10,000 such tube and relay units.

In such a system the space required to mount such a large number of relays and tubes becomes a major problem, and the unitary assembly as shown herein is of considerable advantage both in saving space and in providing a unitary structure in which the tube, and relay are prewired together, and yet in which the tube is easily removed and replaced.

The main object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a novel and useful relay assembly including a mounting for a neon tube whereby the tube and relay may be prewired together as a unit and in which the tube is readily removed and replaced.

The features will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

. Fig. 1 is a side view of the relay showing the tube mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a view of the relay taken from the top of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the socket insulator used in the spring pile up of the relay to guide the tube;

Fig. 4 is a separate view of the glow tube.

Referring now to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows a miniature relay having a coil 2 supported on the usual heel piece 3 by a stud 4 and nut 5. The armature 6 is pivoted on the knife edge 7 of the end of heel piece 3, and is held in place by a T-shaped link 8 which is secured to heel piece 3 by means of a screw 9 which passes through an elongated slot in link 8 and is threaded into a hole in the heel piece. The armature has a small residual 10 of brass, or the like, secured to the surface by welding or otherlike means. The usual terminal wires of the winding of coil 2 are indicated at '11 and 12.

The spring pile up of the relay includes insulators 13 and 14, terminal spring '15, insulator 16, contact spring '17, insulator 1'8,'contact spring 19, insulator 20, jack spring 21, socket insulator 22, jack spring 23, insulator 24, and metal plate 25.

The spring pile up parts just mentioned are all securely held by screws 26 and 27, which pass through holes in all the springs and insulators without touching any of the springs, and are secured in threaded 'holes in the heel piece 3. The spring 17 has the usual bushing 28 engaging the surface of armature 6 so that spring 17 is moved into contact with spring 19 when the coil 2 is energized.

The socket insulator 22, which forms the separation between jack springs 21 and '23, is shaped as shown in Fig. 3 and has a cut out portion 22a, Fig. 2, which con- I forms generally to a portion of the outer surface of the glow tube 29, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The glow tube 29 as shown has the two elements thereof terminating in the two rigid wire prongs 30 and 31 which are spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the thick ness of socket insulator 22. The lamp is mounted as part of the relay assembly by inserting the two prongs thereof on opposite sides of socket insulator 22 and between said insulator and the jack springs 21 and 23 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. As the prongs 30 and 31 are inserted it will be seen that the springs 21 and 2-3 are flexed outwardand maintain a good contact with the prongs 30 and 31. The tube may thus be readily removed and replaced and when removed may also act as a cut-out switch to open the circuit of the relay if included therein. The body of the lamp when thus mounted is held from any sidewise movement by the forked arms of socket insulator 22 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. In Fig. 2 the tube has been shown broken away to show the armature mounting.

It will be seen that the terminal wires 11 and 12 of the coil 2 may be soldered to the terminal of the various spring contacts as desired. For example, one terminal wire 11 may be soldered to spring terminal 15 for connection to one side of a circuit, and the other terminal wire 12 may be connected to the terminal of one of the jack springs 21 or 23. In this case a circuit may be connected up to include the glow tube 29 and the coil 2 in series. A circuit to be controlled may be connected to springs 17 and 19 for closure when the tube strikes to energize the relay. Alternatively, the relay may be separately connected to an operating circuit and the spring 19 connected to one of the jack springs 21 or 23. In this case when the relay is energized, the springs 17 and 19 will close and complete a separate circuit including the glow tube to cause it to strike.

It will be seen that I have provided a very simple unitary construction of a relay and a neon tube, in which the tube is jack mounted ina pair of springs which are a part of the spring pile up of the relay and from which the tube is readily removed and replaced.

What is claimed is:

1. In a calling station directory number detector system of a toll ticketing telephone system an assembly therein comprising a relay having a heel piece and an armature pivoted thereon, a spring pile-up mounted on said heel piece, and including a pair of springs operated by said armature, and another pair of said springs separated by an insulator, together with a tube having a pair of extending terminals, said terminals passing on either side of said insulator and engaging the spring mounted on either side thereof,gsaid insulator having a cut-out portion at its outer end conforming in shape to the outer surface of said tube thereby forming a socket to guide the terminals of the tube when the tube is inserted in said 3 socket whereby said springs and the winding of said relay may be connected as desired.

2. In a calling station directory number detector systern of'a toll ticketing telephone system a combined relay and neon tube mounting comprising a heel piece having a coil and armature secured thereto, a spring pile-up consisting of a plurality of springs separated from each other by insulators also secured to said heel piece, all of said springs having extended terminals whereby said springs and the winding of said relay may be interconnected, certain of said springs operated at their free ends by said armature to control an external circuit and certain of said springs together with the insulator therebetWeen forming a jack, said insulator secured to the jack springs has an extended forked end having the inside 15 2,769,069

of the forked end shaped to conform to the outer contour of a glow tube and acting as a guide therefor to restrict movement thereof, said glow tube removably inserted between said forked ends of the insulator with a pair of terminals thereof connecting the springs on the opposite sides of the forked insulator.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 2,504,873 Porter Apr. 18, 195 0 2,610,237 Benner Sept. 9, 1952 2,613,274 Stehlik Oct. 7, 1952 2,682,584 Knapp June 29, 1954 2,701,286 Slate Feb. 1, 1955 Christy Oct. 30, 1956 

